Inside-Out: Environmental Science in the Classroom and in the Field realizes that elementary school teachers are generalists, and may not feel they have a good enough grasp of the content to be confident communicating it, so each chapter begins with a short refresher on key content for the teacher, followed by detailed instructions for student activities that will illustrate the scientific principles. Each chapter is organized around a theme, beginning with topography –seeing and recording the student’s environment—and progressing through physical geography, water, soil, energy and nutrients, ending in an examination of biodiversity. It also includes a chapter on action projects from single classroom endeavors to school wide activities that could provide an overarching structure for a year’s worth of environmental science lessons. The activities each include detailed instructions and lists of required materials that will help the teacher gauge its feasibility and suitability for their particular situation. A list of websites the authors found both credible and especially useful for educators is included as an additional resource.From release/information:

Product Description: Teachers seeking new ways to integrate Earth science, chemistry, physical geography, and life science into a study of the environment should just step outside! So say the authors of Inside-Out: Environmental Science in the Classroom and the Field, Grades 3 8, who provide thought-provoking, interesting activities to help teachers and students leave the classroom and learn outside. Inside-Out covers topics such as using topographic maps to better understand landforms, exploring the physical landscape of a local area, how water sustains biological organisms, and the relationship between soil conditions and local flora using both field- and classroom-based lessons to convey important environmental science concepts. Each chapter includes an introduction to the material covered, followed by activities that allow students to use direct observation and inquiry to learn various concepts in environmental science. The authors also provide many web resources that will point teachers in the right direction for gaining even more information about these subjects. If you re looking for a way to bring environmental science lessons to life for your students, Inside-Out can help you do it!